


how high does the sycamore grow?

by gasmsinc



Series: sun sweet berries of the earth [1]
Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Spirits, Alternate Universe - Werewolf, Knotting, M/M, Mpreg
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-31
Updated: 2016-12-31
Packaged: 2018-09-13 13:31:01
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 19,815
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9125776
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gasmsinc/pseuds/gasmsinc
Summary: There is a spirit living in Patrick State Park.“Listen,” says Jonny. “I didn’t mean to step on your crown.”The spirit’s bottom lip wobbles.





	

**Author's Note:**

> this was originally posted to my tumblr, but unfortunately i've found myself unable to continue, so everything's been collected here as one.

There is a spirit living in Patrick State Park.

Any other time Jonny would be ecstatic at such a discovery, but this spirit is the most ornery thing he's ever met.

“Listen,” he says. “I didn’t mean to step on your crown.”

The spirit’s bottom lip wobbles.

“Stop that,” says Jonny. The forest animals are starting to _glare_. He can fight off the deer, they’re no problem, but the black bear is looking pretty pissed and the mountain lion looks ready to pounce. “I’ll fix it, _Jesus_.”

The spirit doesn’t want to hand him the ruined flower crown. He clutches it to his pale chest, glaring at Jonny with wide, azure blue eyes.

“Fine, I’ll just make you a new one,” says Jonny, setting his backpack down on the ground next to the spirit’s bare feet. For a forest spirit, the spirit’s feet are without blisters or blemishes, even _dirt_.

Jonny walks around the clearing, collecting wild flowers, the deer scattering when he draws too close. They might be mad that he upset the spirit, but they know better than to draw too close to a Wolf. The mountain lion hisses at him before it perches itself in a tree to watch, and the bear lumbers on over to the spirit for a cuddle. There are rabbits and squirrels and _mice_ coming out of the trees to gather around the spirit despite the presence of predators. It looks like a scene out of a Disney film. It’s adorably sickening.

He picks an assortment of flowers in various colors of red and blue and white, and even a particularly lovely flower in purple. He nestles himself against the trunk of a tree, letting his thumb nail extend into a claw enough to cut holes in the stems to wrap the flowers around one another.

He looks up from his twisting and curling when he hears his backup unzip. The spirit is peering into it, whole face in the pack. He pulls out an extra pair of shoes, Jonny’s shorts, and finally his sweater. Jonny always carries an extra pair of clothes when he travels into the woods. Transformations are tricky, and sometimes the Wolf takes over before he can strip properly. It’s always best to have an extra pair of clothes in a backpack tucked away somewhere safe when it’s finally time to return to the real world.

The spirit is captivated by the sweater. It’s old and worn from Jonny’s days at uni.

The spirit is naked. His skin is pale and smooth and without blemishes, but Jonny knows that the spirit is as old as the forest. He has probably never worn clothes before, but he clutches the sweater to his chest.

Jonny goes back to twisting flowers. He interchanges the colors out, the lovely purple in the middle as the centerpiece.

He doesn’t even hear the spirit approach.

The spirit drops gracefully next to him, the path he took painted by the length of the grass; everywhere the spirit walks, the plants seem to grow. He pushes his way under Jonny’s arms, nosing his way into his space until he’s in Jonny’s lap, faces inches apart.

 _Wolf_ whispers the spirit even though his lips don’t move. They’re rosy and soft, pink. This close, Jonny can see the milkiness of the spirit’s eyes.

Around them the trees begin to whisper.

The spirit kisses the corner of Jonny’s mouth before turning in his arms, resting his back against his chest, but Jonny feels almost nothing. The spirit is small, still very much a man, but he’s almost weightless. There is pressure on Jonny’s chest and between his legs where the spirit sits, but the spirit seems to weigh as much as a very small child.

The spirit puts either hand on Jonny’s wrists, holding on as he starts to twist the flowers again.

Jonny twists and twists until the crown is finally complete. “There,” he says, lifting the crown to set it over the spirit’s blonde curls. “All better.”

Happiness wafts off of the spirit. He twists again in Jonny’s arms to straddle his thighs. He smiles, pearly white teeth, all dimples. _Wolf_ he whispers again, lips still unmoving. _Mine_.

“You were going to sick the bear on me,” says Jonny.

The bear grunts from where it’s digging up worms.

 _Mine_ repeats the spirit. _Mine_. _Mine_. _Mine_.

The spirit kisses the corner of Jonny’s mouth, fingers playing with the hair at the back of his nape. _My Wolf_.

The Wolf inside of Jonny rumbles. He’s enamored with the spirit already. Jonny can’t blame the Wolf. All animals are drawn to forest spirits, especially this one, who climbs in his lap prettily.

“Do you promise not to sick the bear on me?” he asks.

The spirit ignores him to touch his crown. _Like_ he conveys.

The spirit probably doesn’t have much interaction with people or things that can speak. “What about the cougar?” asks Jonny, even though he could take the lion and win. “Will you sick her on me?”

 _Nice_ , replies the spirit, twisting to look at the lion. _Like_. _Nice_. _No hurt_.

The lion peers down at Jonny, flicking her tail back and forth. She makes no attempt to move, but her nose scrunches, like she doesn’t like the smell of Wolf. Jonny doesn’t like the smell of mountain lion, either.

The spirit giggles, rolling away from Jonny quickly. He walks a few steps away to grab the sweater. _Keep_ he insists.

It’s Jonny’s favorite sweater, but the spirit is peering at him with wide, innocent eyes. “Okay,” he relents. “Come here, let me put it on.”

The spirit returns, taking his place back between Jonny’s legs. Jonny takes the spirit's crown off, ignoring the spirit’s weak protests to pull the sweater over his head. He guides the spirit’s arms through the holes, pulling the sweater down until it covers the spirit’s knees. He places the crown securely back on the spirit’s head.

The spirit has no individual smell to him. He smells exactly like the forest, because he _is_ the forest, but now that he smells like Jonny, he’ll be so much easier to find.

The spirit smiles. He tugs at the hem of the sweater before he blinks, yawning. He rolls from Jonny’s lap onto the forest floor where the grass is already growing, twisting and curling itself to make a cushion.

 _Sleep_ , says the spirit, sprawling out on his grass cushion, eyes heavy. He’s gone from ornery, to curious, to flirtatious, to sleepy all in less than an hour. Jonny’s tired from just watching, but his Wolf is hungry for the run.

The only reason Jonny even came out here in the first place was to let the Wolf out. Stepping on the forest spirit's crown had been an accident--he hadn’t even been aware that a forest spirit even lived in the park.

He stands and stretches, the spirit watching him from under his long eyelashes. He listens to the trees around them. This is a state park, open to visitors and guests throughout the year. It’s nowhere near the size of Yellowstone, or Yosemite, but it’s still large enough that he can veer off the path and never run into another person, and it’s still large enough to house a mountain lion, a black bear, and a forest spirit.

He toes off his socks and shoes. He strips off his shirt, removes his shorts and briefs, and stuffs them into his backpack, along with all the clothes the spirit pulled out.

The bear approaches, sniffing at his naked thigh. He must decide that Jonny is alright, because he lumbers on away, back into the forest. The mountain lion is nowhere to be seen.

Jonny usually stuffs his backpack into the hollow of a tree, or between rocks where it will remain out of view. This time he sets it down against the trunk of a tree, right next to where the forest spirit is watching him, curled up and ready to sleep. The spirit looks lovely, snug in Jonny’s oversized sweater. “I’m going to leave this with you, okay?”

 _Mine_ , says the spirit and promptly closes his eyes.

Jonny’s never going to get his backpack back.

 

 

 

\- - -

 

 

 

Jonny doesn’t get his backpack back.

He lets the Wolf run for miles before he follows the scent of his sweater back to the clearing where he finds all of his things scattered on the forest floor, the spirit using his backpack to collect wild flowers.

It’s difficult for Jonny to be upset about the loss of his backpack when the spirit looks at him happily, all dimpled grin with the tiniest of gaps between his two front teeth as he says, _Wolf_.

“Hello,” says Jonny, shooing a chipmunk away from his underwear. “May I have my backpack back?”

The spirit frowns, about to dump a handful of flowers into said backpack.

He looks so sad at the potential loss of the backpack that Jonny pulls on his underwear, deciding to just let the spirit keep it. It’s his favorite, from his days back at UND, but the spirit already has his favorite sweater--might as well let him keep the backpack. He can always bring the spirit something to distract him and then steal the bag back later.

“I’ll bring you a backpack of your own,” says Jonny, realizing that his shirt is missing and one of his socks. He eyes the spirit, who just continues to collect flowers. “Where’s my sock? And my shirt?”

 _Keep_ says the spirit without even looking at Jonny.

“You can’t just take my things,” says Jonny, incredulous.

 _My Wolf_ is all the spirit says.

Jonny quickly realizes that there’s no arguing with a spirit, especially not this one. “You’re a _thief_.”

The spirit blinks at him before he makes grabby hands for him. Jonny doesn’t want to give into him because he shouldn’t reward bad behavior, but he leans down anyway, letting the spirit kiss the corner of his mouth.

The spirit doesn’t make any fuss when he leaves, like he knows that Jonny will be back. He just continues to stuff wild flowers into Jonny’s backpack, stopping momentarily to pet the rabbits at his side.

Jonny waits a week before he returns to the forest. He has a life outside of being a Wolf that involves bossing people around from his office and yelling at Sharpy which holds him up, despite how much the Wolf insists that they need to get back.

It’s not particularly easy to find the spirit. The park is small for a national park, but that doesn’t mean that it’s lacking in acreage.

Jonny follows the faint scent of his sweater for a few miles, veering away from the clearing where they first met, following along a creek. The animals scatter from him, scared away by the Wolf, but it doesn’t take long for the animals to become more abundant, even if they stay clear. They’re all drawn to the forest spirit. 

Soon enough, the smell of his sweater begins to mix with the smell of the animals more heavily until he finally finds what he’s looking for.

The spirit--Jonny needs a better name for him--is playing in the creek, sans sweater; it’s sitting next to Jonny’s backpack where a deer is nibbling on the sleeve. His flower crown, the one Jonny made for him a week ago, is still nestled amongst his curls, flowers still fresh.

The spirit lifts his head when he senses Jonny’s approach, his mouth splitting into a giant grin.

“Hello darling,” greets Jonny, the Wolf rumbling inside his head. “I brought you some gifts.”

The spirit blinks at him. Jonny settles on a grassy spot, pulling off his backpack--a spare that he doesn’t like as much as the one the spirit took. “Do you like apples?”

The spirit gives him a curious look but remains in the creek.

Candy might not be the best thing to give a forest spirit, but Jonny saw a candy apple at a chocolate store in the mall. It’s bright enough that he could probably barter for his backpack with it. It’s melted from the heat, most of the candy pooling at the bottom of the apple, sticky.

The spirit climbs out of the creek, coming to rest on his knees in front of Jonny, curious about the apple. It still smells sweet from the candy. Even the deer who have been hesitating to draw close because of him have taken an interest.

“You can have the apple,” says Jonny. “If you give me back my backpack.”

The spirit--he needs a _name_ \--makes a face. _Mine_ , he says, gesturing to Jonny’s favorite backpack. He pats the new bag at Jonny’s side. _Yours_.

“They’re _both_ mine.”

The spirit shakes his head. _Mine_.

“You can’t just take things. You have to _ask_.

 _Keep?_ asks the spirit as he looks at the old backpack.

It’s Jonny’s _favorite_. He knows it’s weird to have a favorite backpack of all things, but he has fond memories of lugging books and booze back and forth across campus in that thing.

“Fine,” he relents, as the spirit peers at him. “Fine. You can keep it.”

The spirit giggles his happiness, kissing the corner of Jonny’s mouth--apparently his favorite place to kiss. He takes the apple from Jonny’s hand easily, getting his fingers sticky as he holds it up to his mouth and takes a bite. The apple makes a distinct crunching noise as the spirit sets his teeth into the fruit, eyes growing wide as he manages to get some of the still hard candy on the bite.

The spirit really seems to enjoy the candy because he ignores the parts of the apple not covered in the red sweet, eventually ditching it to lick at the wrapper the apple was covered with. His face and hands are a red mess by the time he’s done, all of the candy gone.

Jonny opens a wet nap that came with the apple, using it to scrub the spirit’s face clean. The spirit makes faces at him the entire time, trying to move his head away until Jonny holds him still with a hand on his chin. “You’re a mess.”

The spirit frowns, knocking Jonny’s hand away to slip back into the creek where he kneels in the water to wash his hands.

Jonny watches him, reclining back on his elbows. Even the frogs come out of their hiding place to croak at the spirit’s feet. He wonders if the spirit can actually talk to the animals, understand their thoughts and their emotions, or if the animals are as silent with the spirit as much as they are with him.

Do the animals call the spirit by name? Does he even _have a name?_

“What do the animals call you?” Jonny asks when the spirit collapses on his knees next to him after cleaning off. The spirit gives him a questioning look before he starts to rummage through Jonny’s new backpack.

Jonny doesn’t even try to protest. “Do you have a name?”

The spirit cocks his head curiously.

“My name is Jonny,” says Jonny.

 _Wolf_ , says the spirit.

“Jonny,” insists Jonny.

 _Wolf_ argues the spirit.

The spirit thinks in very basic, simple terms--this and that. A wolf is a wolf and a flower is a flower and a deer is a deer. It’s no more complicated than that, but Jonny can’t keep calling the spirit, ‘the spirit’.

It’s a lot of responsibility to name the spirit, but after some thought, he settles on Patrick, after the name of the National Park. “Patrick,” he says. “Do you like Patrick?”

The spirit--Patrick tilts his head. _Patrick_.

“Do you like the name?”

Patrick’s mouth turns up in a smile. _Your Patrick?_

Jonny leans back, hands behind his head as a cushion. Inside the normally stoic Wolf prowls.

“My Patrick,” he agrees.

 

 

 

\- - -

 

 

 

Jonny visits Patrick as much as he can.

It’s difficult with his job consuming most of his time and Sharpy’s growing suspicion of his constant hikes into the forest, but he carves out time to visit.

Patrick is always happy to see him, mouth splitting into a giant grin when Jonny finds him. He always immediately makes grabby hands for Jonny, kissing the corner of his mouth and saying Wolf, even though Jonny repeatedly tells him that his name is Jonathan.

“Jon-a-than,” insists Jonny. “Jon-ny.”

Patrick ignores him to rummage in his backpack. He has no respect for privacy, living under the completely false notion that anything that Jonny brings with him is now somehow his. He has a thing for Jonny’s clothes; most of the time he doesn’t even wear whatever he steals, just cuddles with it before he puts it in his stolen backpack.

Jonny’s rummaged through the backpack before. Patrick never actually keeps the stolen clothes in the pack for very long; he has them hidden somewhere else. Where, Jonny isn’t sure. His nose always leads him straight to Patrick, who’s acquired a faint gleam of his scent, but Jonny knows that the clothes must be somewhere nearby.

“You know, it’s rude to steal,” he says. Patrick has his shirt. It’s a new shirt, purposefully bought so Patrick will stop stealing his comfortable, old clothes, but Patrick holds it in his fist, face twisting up in displeasure. 

_No_ he says, crowding into Jonny’s space. _No_. _No_.

He’s unhappy about something, but Patrick’s speech is jerky, uncomfortable, hard to understand.

He grabs the bottom of the shirt Jonny’s wearing, tugging at it. “I’m _wearing_ this,” says Jonny, incredulous.

 _Give_ insists Patrick.

“This is _mine_.”

The stag nearby lifts it head, ready to gouge Jonny’s eyes out with its antlers.

“You’re _awful_ ,” says Jonny, pulling the shirt over his head.

Patrick scoops the shirt up quickly, mood turning rapidly back to happiness. He gives Jonny the new shirt, taking his soft, old worn one and smiling to himself. He rubs his cheek against it before he puts it in his backpack, which is stuffed full of wildflowers and grass, and also Jonny’s water bottle.

“That’s _mine_ ,” grits Jonny. He hadn’t even realized that Patrick had taken the bottle.

 _Keep_ says Patrick as he works his way between Jonny’s legs, back to chest, dumping flowers onto his lap.

“You can’t just--what do you even need my stuff for?” Jonny shouldn’t make Patrick a new crown as a punishment for stealing, but an upset Patrick is a dangerous thing. Jonny isn’t so much worried about the deer, but when Patrick works himself up into a fit, the black bears and the mountain lion tend to show up.

 _Nest_ says Patrick, handing Jonny the first flowers he wants curled together.

“A nest for what?”

Patrick is silent for a moment, contemplating what flowers he wants next. He settles on a red one. _Long sleep_. _Cold_.

It takes Jonny a moment. “You hibernate?”

It’s mid-summer, hot and uncomfortable. Winter is far off in Jonny’s mind, but for Patrick and the animals of the forest it must be dangerously near. There’s no leisure for animals during the summer months; they’re always constantly preparing for the long winter.

Jonny fiddles around with the flowers, letting the crown take its shape. He’s made so many crowns for Patrick over the past few weeks that his hands automatically know how to shape the crown to fit Patrick's head.

The forest is practically dead, always covered in a thick layer of snow during winter. With no flowers or trees or grass to tend, and rarely any animals to care for, Patrick’s options for winter are slim. Sleeping seems like the only reasonable solution.

Jonny finishes weaving the crown. He has to carefully extract the old one, the flowers stuck in Patrick’s curls. As soon as the crown is free, the flowers wither and die. Patrick puts on his new crown, before he turns in Jonny’s arms and kisses his jaw. _My Wolf_.

Patrick is a lovely, sweet thing when he wants to be. He gives Jonny the sweetest of smiles, free with the little kisses he likes to administer, always happy to sit in Jonny’s lap or between his legs for a quick cuddle, but Patrick can also be an awful little thing, ornery and demanding, pushy when he wants his way, baring his teeth when he doesn’t get it.

Patrick is happy today. He touches Jonny’s face with cool fingers, giggling when Jonny turns his head to kiss at his fingertips; he loves being shown affection just as much as he loves giving it.

He tucks his face into Jonny’s throat, giving little butterfly kisses before he pulls away, standing swiftly on his feet and tugging on Jonny’s hand to urge him up.

Jonny holds Patrick’s hand as he walks ahead of him, weaving in and out of the trees, stopping momentarily to kiss a fox on the nose or whistle back to a bird. The animals mostly keep their distance, but they’ve become used to Jonny’s presence. They don’t go up to Jonny unless Patrick is nearby, but they no longer flee as soon as he approaches.

It doesn’t take long for Jonny to recognize the smell of his own clothes.

Patrick’s carved himself out a den under an old, uprooted tree. He’s stuffed it full of grass and flowers and Jonny’s stolen clothes.

Patrick is proud of the little den he’s made, smiling happily and pointing out all of the clothes he’s stolen from Jonny’s bag. Jonny feels every bit of irritation over his stolen clothes morph into love, and then an acute sense of worry: Illinois winters can be brutal.

Jonny knows that Patrick is old. He's the forest, the soul of it, probably sprang from the earth the same way the first ever willow tree did. Surviving winter is a part of Patrick’s life, but a sudden spike of protectiveness shoots through Jonny’s spine. What if this winter is different? What if Patrick doesn’t collect enough grass for insulation? What if Jonny’s clothes don’t do enough to keep him warm?

Patrick pulls Jonny from his thoughts with a kiss. He’s so happy, even though he might freeze to death.

“I’ll bring you more sweaters, okay?” says Jonny.

Patrick just plops in the grass.

 

 

 

\- - -

 

 

 

Jonny makes good on his promise.

He brings Patrick more sweaters--old sweaters that he’s had from before his university days that have become too small for him, but still have his scent.

Patrick is in love with them.

Despite the heat, he pulls on an old, grey UND sweater, watching as Jonny spreads out an old quilt his grandmother made for him over the den floor. The quilt is worn, but it’s kept Jonny warm over the years. It doesn’t belong on the floor of a den, but he doesn’t think his grandmother would mind. She was a Wolf herself; they often walked the forest around Winnipeg together when Jonny was a child. She would understand.

“My grandmother quilted this for me,” explains Jonny, smoothing the quilt down.

Patrick reaches out, running his fingers over the quilt. _Mine?_

“To keep you warm,” says Jonny. “Don’t let the deer nibble on it.”

Patrick smiles, all dimpled happiness. He smooths his thumb under Jonny’s eye. _Keep safe_.

“Thank you,” says Jonny.

Patrick leans into Jonny, tucking his head under his chin. It’s a painful angle, but the spirit seems unable to feel any actual pain. Jonny’s watched him fall off a slippery boulder and land hard enough to break an arm, only to roll away unharmed.

Patrick’s curls tickle Jonny’s chin. The pollen off his crown makes Jonny’s nose twitch, but to have him so close is a wonderful thing.

 

 

 

 

\- - -

 

 

 

Autumn falls over the forest quietly.

Patrick no longer wanders the expanse of the woods, but instead sticks close to his den. Most of the time Jonny finds him napping just outside the den, curled in a ball, preparing for the long sleep. Jonny leaves him be, instead concentrating his efforts on making sure that Patrick’s den is properly insulated.

Patrick is always groggy when he wakes, eyes milkier than usual. It takes him a bit longer to become aware of his surroundings; sometimes he’s only awake long enough to steal something from Jonny’s backpack. His long sleep is coming closer and closer, and Jonny is powerless to stop it. All he can do is make sure that the den is clean, lined perfectly with his shirts and his socks, and the quilt that his grandmother made. He even buys a set of fleece blankets, letting them sit under a pile of his laundry for a few days to soak up his scent before he brings them to the den.

Every day that he ventures to the den, Jonny always expects to find Patrick inside of it, tucked securely away for the winter, but Patrick is always outside, napping or waiting tiredly for his appearance.

Patrick’s face always breaks into a smile when he sees Jonny, dimpled and happy, albeit sleepy. Today is no different. He tilts his head back for Jonny’s kiss, tired, smelling of the changing season of the forest and Jonny.

“I’ve brought you something,” says Jonny, although he doesn’t have his backpack. Jonny wants Patrick warm for the winter, but there’s only so much room in the den. Patrick hasn’t found anything he’s felt like keeping for the past few days, anyway.

He settles down just outside of the den, Patrick immediately crawling onto his lap for a cuddle. Patrick is warm, dressed in one of his sweaters, and surprisingly a pair of socks, although mismatched.

“This is an iPod,” says Jonny as he draws the device from his pocket. It’s ancient, from the first generation, banged up to hell, but it still works. Patrick seemed ready to drift off, but as soon as Jonny starts thumbing through the music via the dial he wakes up.

Patrick takes the iPod. He doesn’t seem to even care much about the available music, or the words on the screen. No, he’s far more interested in turning the dial with his thumb, liking the noise the dial makes as it spins. He doesn’t even notice when Jonny pops a headphone into his ear.

 _Mine_ he says when Jonny takes the iPod from him, baring his teeth but without any real heat. Jonny ignores him to thumb through his music, until he lands on “Buddy Holly”. Patrick jumps in surprise, startled by the first chord. He makes a face of distress, fingers going to his ears, turning his head to look at Jonny questioningly.

“You have to like ‘Buddy Holly’,” says Jonny.

Patrick makes faces. He’s not exactly displeased by the song, Jonny can tell. It’s the loudness of the music in his ear that’s upsetting him. Jonny’s supernatural werewolf hearing can pick up the song clearly without the use of headphones; he only wears them as a courtesy to other people.

“Too loud, buddy?” Jonny thumbs the sound down until it’s a low whisper.

Patrick’s face softens.

He watches Jonny thumb through the music library until he takes the iPod back, picking songs at random. Some of Jonny’s music Patrick seems to like, and others he makes faces at until he finds a different song he likes better.

It’s no surprise that he finds Jonny’s secret playlist of Disney music and falls absolutely in love with the playlist, even going as far as to bite his fingers when Jonny tries to thumb to a different playlist.

“Half of these songs were written with you in mind,” says Jonny as Patrick hums happily along to “Colors of the Wind”, which is an oddly fitting song, seeing as Patrick is probably friends with every single animal Pocahontas mentions, and probably does run through the hidden pine trails of the forest when he’s not being stubborn.

As much as Patrick is pleased by the music, it doesn’t take long for his eternal clock to knock him out. He falls asleep to “Kiss the Girl”, curled against Jonny’s chest. He weighs practically nothing as Jonny lifts him, even though he is the size of a full grown man.

It’s difficult to maneuver Patrick into his den, but it’s too cold to leave him outside. He mewls as Jonny sets him down, fingers digging into his shirt. _Stay_ he whispers all tired, blinking eyes, soft mouthed.

It’s claustrophobic in the den, already stuffy warm from their body heat and the insulation. Jonny hasn’t slept outside since he was a teenager. He crawls outside of the den, despite the desperate little upset sobs coming from Patrick.

Jonny’s spoiled the spirit rotten. He strips off his clothes, folding them neatly, placing them near the opening, before he lets his Wolf take over. His body contorts and shifts until the world becomes sharper, louder.

He crawls on his belly into the den, the space even more claustrophobic with the bulking form of his Wolf taking up so much space, but he’s careful not to step on Patrick, managing to lay himself gently on top of the spirit, covering him.

 _Wolf_ smiles Patrick, blinking his wide, tired eyes at Jonny, lips turned up into a sleepy smile. He digs his soft fingers into Jonny’s fur, sighing contently.

Jonny sticks his snout in Patrick’s face as he drifts back off to sleep, inhaling the sweet scent of Patrick, and unsurprisingly the sharp scent of winter. He sniffs at Patrick’s throat, licking the soft skin there to bathe him, before he goes lower, using his snout to push the sweater up to expose hi belly and lick there, bathing him and covering him with his scent all in one go.

He bathes Patrick until he’s sure that he's clean and covered in his scent before he rests his head on his paws, Patrick’s soft breaths lulling him to sleep.

Jonny wakes to the smell of fresh snow. He blinks his eyes open, Patrick’s face stuffed into his belly, watching as fat snowflakes fall to the ground through the tiny mouth of the den.

Winter is finally here.

 

 

 

\- - -

 

 

 

Patrick sleeps all winter, curled tightly in his den.

Jonny visits, letting the Wolf take over, crawling on his belly into the den, always careful not to step on Patrick. He curls around him, licking at his face and curls, cleaning him of dirt and scenting him in the process. Sometimes Patrick wakes momentarily, eyes so heavy with sleep that they’re barely even open, but he digs his fingers into Jonny’s fur and doesn’t let go.

Jonny visits every other day, sometimes trekking through feet of snow just to make sure that Patrick is alright. Patrick always is, tucked safely away in his den, sometimes accompanied by a fox or a snow hare. As the winters get harsher, Jonny brings different sweaters with him, wrestling Patrick out of one and into another, always making sure that he has a pair of clean socks. Patrick sleeps through all of this, making little soft whimpers in his sleep if Jonny gets too rough, only calming when Jonny kisses his neck.

There are two days in February where the weather is inexplicably warm. Not summer warm, but warm enough that Jonny’s fingers don’t feel like falling off if he doesn’t wear gloves. Patrick is awake for those two days. Awake, but very lethargic. He’s unhappy too, like a child pulled out of its nap too early.

Patrick doesn’t _want_ to be awake, but the den is stifling from the unusual heat, telling his body that it needs to be awake when it really doesn’t. He spends those two days snapping his teeth, crying and whimpering, falling asleep only to jerk awake moments later. It’s a relief when the temperature plummets and Patrick falls back into his deep sleep.

The winter seems to drag on for impossibly long, but around the end of March, the snow finally stops falling in annoying amounts and the sun stays out for longer. It’s not crippling hot, but it’s at least the start of spring.

Patrick wakes up slowly this time, adjusting to the temperature change instead of being jerked into it. He spends a few hours here and there awake in his den, slowly venturing out of it but never too far, until one day Jonny finds him fifty yards away from the den, playing naked in the nearby creek.

It’s still too cold for Patrick to be playing in the water. “No,” says Jonny immediately. “Get out. You’ll catch a cold.”

Patrick splashes around in the water a few more times, just to be stubborn, before he launches himself at Jonny, giggling and stuffing his head under his chin to plant his throat with kisses. “I spent all of winter cuddling with you,” says Jonny, but wraps his arms around the spirit anyway, dragging him in close and squeezing hard.

Patrick eventually pulls away, walking around the creek and picking flowers. He hasn’t worn a crown in months, and he looks odd without it. But before Jonny makes him one, he forces Patrick back into a clean sweater and a new pair of socks. Patrick isn’t exactly happy about wearing clothes again, but Jonny worries. He knows before they met that Patrick had never worn clothes, and that Patrick’s body is made to endure the cold, despite how small and lean and human he appears, but Jonny can’t help his mother hen complex. He’d rather have Patrick pout and snap his teeth at him than have him be cold.

Patrick stops pouting when they settle down for a cuddle. _Wolf_ he says happily when Jonny starts to twist and curl flower stems together. _Love you_ , just like that.

Jonny pauses. Patrick wraps his hands around Jonny’s wrists, urging him on. _Wolf_ he insists, turning his head to look at Jonny, eyes wide and curious.

“I love you too,” says Jonny, twisting two stems together, because it can only be love that’s kept him coming almost every day during the winter. He feels protective over Patrick, like he’s a little secret that must be kept safe no matter what. He would let the Wolf chase down and kill anyone who would bring Patrick harm, which is a scary reality, because Jonny has never wanted to lose control like that before. But Patrick is _special_ , and has dug his way into Jonny’s heart. Jonny would burn down the whole city to keep Patrick safe.

Patrick kisses him sweetly when the crown is complete, leaving Jonny shortly after to explore and check on the forest.

As the days become longer and warmer, Patrick moves further and further away from his den, going deeper into the forest and away from any hiking trails or people. He becomes harder for Jonny to find, Jonny’s scent slipping away from him as he moves through the forest, taking care of the animals and the trees. There are days when Jonny visits but is unable to find the spirit. Those days Jonny lets the Wolf loose, darting between trees and feeling the dirt between his toes.

But by the end of April, when it’s starting to become hot, Patrick’s mood shifts. Perhaps the forest is settled, or maybe Patrick’s become bored with his exploration, because he becomes weirdly clingy, wanting to be with Jonny as soon as Jonny steps foot in the state park, even going as far as to appear in the parking lot.

Jonny always parks as far away from the trails as he can, but seeing Patrick emerge from between the trees, his soft feet on the dark asphalt, sends a spark of fear straight down Jonny’s spine. There’s one other car in the lot that day, but Jonny is quick to shoo the spirit back into the forest, flashing his eyes red and baring his teeth, demanding that Patrick never step foot outside the safety of the forest again. If someone had seen Patrick--Jonny doesn’t even finish the thought. Patrick never does anything as dangerous as appear in the parking lot again, but he sticks dangerously close to the trails.

“You _have_ to be careful,” says Jonny, when he finds Patrick waiting for him on a stump right off the start of the trail.

Patrick pays him no mind, just slipping his fingers between Jonny’s, following after him as they make their way down the trail, veering off and as far away as Jonny can get them. “Please,” he says, when they stop in an open field. “You have to be careful, Patrick. Do you want someone to come in here and take you away?”

Patrick stops petting a squirrel to look at Jonny. _Away?_

“Yes,” says Jonny. “Someone will see you, and they’ll come in here and they’ll take you away, and who would take care of the forest or the animals?”

Patrick frowns. _Stay_.

“I know buddy,” says Jonny, ruffling Patrick’s curls, careful not to disturb his crown too much. “Wait until I’m in the forest, away from the trails and cars. Okay?”

Patrick says nothing, but from that day on he’s better about it, waiting impatiently for Jonny near a creek or hidden behind a large tree, but his clinginess gets no better. Usually Patrick sits still long enough for a good cuddle before he deems Jonny boring and goes off to collect flowers or play in the creek alongside the animals, but for some reason, as the world grows warmer, he wants to stay by Jonny, sit in his lap even through the uncomfortable heat of it, and just run his hands over Jonny’s body, like a little pervert.

Jonny lets Patrick do what he pleases. It’s not like it’s a hardship to endure the spirit in his lap, and at least Patrick isn’t doing anything stupid anymore. Jonny only becomes concerned when Patrick’s temperament towards the animals starts to change.

The animals seem to have accepted the fact that Jonny and his Wolf are very much a part of their world. The deer no longer scatter from him, but instead graze around him, even bumping their heads against Jonny to make him move from a patch of grass that they want to chew at. Jonny doesn’t mind, because the deer are quite sweet and cute, but one day a doe gets close to chew at the grass near Jonny while Patrick is sniffing at his neck. The doe butts her head against Jonny’s hip, and Patrick snaps his head at her, baring his teeth, looking ready to hit.

“Hey, _no_ ,” snaps Jonny, grabbing Patrick by the wrists.

Patrick bares his teeth at all of the deer, sending them scattering in fear.

“What’s wrong with you?” demands Jonny. Patrick has never been mean to the animals before.

Patrick looks at Jonny, eyes wide, before he shifts his weight in Jonny’s lap, cheeks suddenly bright red, pressing closer--and, _oh_.

Jonny has seen Patrick naked for months now, silky smooth skin pale and lovely. Patrick has always been naked, but he’s never been _hard_.

“Patrick,” says Jonny, just as Patrick says, _mate_.

“Darling,” tries Jonny, as Patrick shifts about.

 _Mate_ insists Patrick, tugging on Jonny’s shirt.

“Patrick, we can’t--”

Patrick looks at Jonny, eyes wide and _hurt_. _Wolf mate?_ he asks, shy.

And this explains Patrick’s sudden change in personality, his clinginess and meanness towards the animals. It’s _spring_ , the mating season. He’s marked Jonny as his mate, and just wants to be with him, viewing the doe as a threat, as ridiculous as it sounds.

“Sweetheart,” sighs Jonny, holding Patrick’s face in his hands. Patrick is gorgeous, all soft mouth and wide, milky blue eyes, lean with muscle. If Jonny saw him on the street, he’d do a double-take, but this isn’t the street. Patrick is a _forest spirit_ , driven by nature to want to have sex with Jonny. Jonny wouldn’t want to take advantage of Patrick, as tempting as the spirit might be.

But Patrick is a stubborn little thing, stronger than he appears. He wraps his legs around Jonny’s waist and his arms around his shoulders, tugging him backward, until Jonny is lying on top of him. He presses his lips against Jonny’s ear, kissing the shell. _Want_ he says, as sweet as anything.

“Patrick,” says Jonny, unable to control the way his body reacts to Patrick, shivering.

 _Want_ insists Patrick, tugging at Jonny’s shirt.

Patrick’s face is an open book. He doesn’t look frightened, or unsure, just so trusting. He plays with the hair at Jonny’s nape, leaning up to give him a sweet kiss.

“Okay,” says Jonny, sitting up enough to pull his shirt off.

Patrick runs his fingers down Jonny’s chest. _Good mate_ he decides, kissing under a peck, pleased with himself.

Jonny shakes his head, fond. He runs his hands down Patrick’s sides, watching the goosebumps rise on his skin. He kisses Patrick’s bellybutton, and then lower, on each thigh Patrick sighs softly, touching Jonny’s shoulders.

Patrick smells wonderful, the smell causing the Wolf to growl. He smells like someone who needs to be mated, _claimed_.

Jonny lets his instincts take over, the human side of him taking a backseat to the Wolf. He removes his shorts and underwear, flipping Patrick over gently onto his hands and knees. He prods gently at Patrick’s hole, where he’s already slick, just enough to ease Jonny’s way.

Patrick whimpers when Jonny pushes in, digging his fingers into the grass where it’s sprung up beneath their knees. When mating season is over, Jonny will lock the Wolf away, and will fuck Patrick right, Patrick on his back, Jonny lavishing him with kisses, making him feel good, but for now, he sinks all the way to the hilt, pushing Patrick’s shoulders down until his ass in the air, fucking away into him single-mindedly.

Jonny pushes his knot in right before he comes, Patrick going tight around him. He tries to push himself up on his knees, but Jonny covers him with his body, biting into Patrick’s shoulder, leaving his mark as he empties himself into Patrick’s willing body.

He gets enough sense about him to reach around to Patrick’s front, tugging at Patrick’s cock until Patrick comes, squeezing hard around Jonny, finally collapsing under Jonny’s weight.

It takes a few minutes before Jonny can calm the Wolf down and get his sense back. He’s still buried deep, knot hard and unyielding. He kisses the back of Patrick’s neck, where his curls are clinging to his neck. “Are you okay?” he shifts his weight, lying on his side, one arm slung over Patrick’s hip.

 _Happy_ yawns Patrick. _Sleep_. He turns his head, biting Jonny’s chin, leaving his own mark.

They nap for a short half hour, until Jonny can pull his knot out and do it all over again.

 

 

 

\- - -

 

 

 

Jonny calls out of work sick for a week to be with Patrick, knotting him until Patrick grows satisfied and then eventually tired of his presence, snapping his teeth at Jonny when Jonny tries to turn him over for a rut. Jonny gets the picture pretty quickly, backing off and giving Patrick his space, instead busying himself with cleaning out the den. He gets rid of the old flowers and grass, and spends a long few hours washing the clothes and blankets in the creek, leaving them out on rocks to dry in the sun.

Patrick eventually comes back to him, sweet as ever. Whatever strange mood Patrick was in because of spring seems to be gone. All he wants is a few kisses and a long cuddle as Jonny makes him a new, prettier crown because the others kept getting ruined in their mating. He’s a bit clingy and unhappy when Jonny eventually has to leave, trailing after him as Jonny makes his way back to the parking lot, but Patrick does as Jonny asked, stopping short of the asphalt and staying in the trees when Jonny drives away.

Jonny has to stay away from the forest for longer than usual to make up for his week absence from work. Sharpy is a right tool, crowding into his office as soon as Jonny sits down to poke and prod at him, and ask completely inane questions about his cold, but Sharpy eventually leaves him alone, growing bored when Jonny knocks his hands away and ignores him.

When Jonny finally makes it back to the forest, Patrick is easy to find. He no longer truly wanders, but stays within a mile or two of his den. It’s easy for Jonny to catch his own scent on the wind and follow it to where Patrick is frolicking in a meadow or cuddling with rabbits. Patrick is of course always happy to see him, tilting his head up to plant a sweet kiss on Jonny’s mouth, purring _Mate_ instead of his usual _Wolf_. Jonny would really love to be called _Jonny_ once in his life, but he lets that go, because _Mate_ sends a wave of love down Jonny’s throat.

Jonny starts to bring his iPod with him once again, and even a little speaker so the headphones won’t get in the way as Patrick explores the meadow, meeting all of the new babes. Patrick has a thing for the baby animals, touching them softly and gently when their parents bring them to him, the babes instinctively drawn to Patrick.

It’s sweet to watch Patrick cradle a bear cub, or touch the soft space between a fawn’s eyes. He’s a natural when it comes to the little animals, silencing their cries with a kiss, or giving them a finger to suckle on. Watching Patrick stirs something inside the Wolf, like _want_ and _need_. Patrick would make such a good mother to their pups.

 _Shit_.

Jonny doesn’t know how this whole having pups thing works between two supernatural creatures that are _male_ , but he knows that Patrick wouldn’t have settled on him as a mate if there wasn’t some sort of possibility that Patrick could get pregnant.

Jonny gets Patrick underneath him one day, sniffing at his throat, hands on Patrick's little belly. Patrick smells no different from usual. He smells like the cougar cub he was playing with earlier, of the crisp smell of the creek, and of Jonny. There’s no trace of pregnancy on his skin, but Jonny touches over Patrick’s stomach, feeling for a bump. Patrick’s stomach is flat, except for the natural swell of his belly.

Patrick blinks up at Jonny. _Wolf?_ he says, confusedly.

Jonny feels like an idiot, but he keeps moving his hands. He wants children, he does, but he planned from them a little later in life, when he had a better place, somewhere where the children could grow and run and he could provide for them, but if Patrick _is_ pregnant, he’ll make it work, maybe ask for more hours and find a better place outside the city near where Sharpy lives, where the houses are a bit cheaper and come with a little land. Patrick would hate it though, living in a house away from the forest. He would be absolutely miserable in a house, but Jonny can’t have his children running naked through the woods, exposed to the elements.

 _Good mate_ says Patrick, nodding to himself. _Strong pups_.

“Now?” says Jonny, feeling his heart stop.

Patrick bats Jonny’s hands away, rolling out from under him. _Later_ he sighs sadly, touching his belly. “Oh,” says Jonny, feeling pained at Patrick’s sadness. “One day, yeah?” Patrick nods, kissing Jonny’s jaw before he slips away, off to chit chat with some squirrels.

Jonny lets his worries about their potential pups go as spring turns into summer and Patrick’s stomach remains flat. Patrick pays it no mind. He seems willing only to have sex during the beginning of spring, which Jonny can’t blame him for or be irritated about. Patrick’s life cycle is deeply rooted in the seasons and the animals around him, and has been that way for probably hundreds of years--Jonny doesn’t want to force anything, or try to change anything about Patrick. Patrick’s cuddles and kisses are enough.

When summer really hits, it becomes incredibly, unbearably hot. Patrick spends most of his time playing in the creek, splashing water on Jonny and any animals that draw close. The heat is in the air, making everything brittle and dry--every night the city suffers through a violent lightning storm. It feels like it hasn’t rained in weeks.

Jonny makes it through the storms by pulling the curtains shut. His Wolf hates them, forcing Jonny to curl up in bed and hide under the covers, but at least it’s not thunder. He worries about Patrick making it through the storms, but Patrick is always okay, just like the winter, no worse for wear when Jonny makes it out to the forest.

A nagging feeling grows in the back of Jonny’s throat as the drought goes on, the leaves starting to wilt and get crispy under his feet, like the beginning of autumn when it’s only mid-June. The dry leaves and the lightning storms spell doom, but every day the forest remains intact, and Patrick seems unworried. He stands by the trees and listens to them whisper for long moments, always satisfied by what he hears. If Patrick isn’t worried about the trees, then Jonny shouldn’t be either.

Something wakes him in the middle of the night, like a flash of fear that jolts Jonny from under his covers. He sits up momentarily, breathing heavily, Wolf alert and unhappy. He reaches under his pillow and checks his phone, but there are no texts or emails from his family, but something is sitting low in his gut, making him sick to his stomach.

He tries to go back to sleep, but the Wolf is nervous, anxious, not letting him sleep, so he gets up, brushing his teeth, pacing back and forth until he realizes that tonight is not like any other night--there’s no lightning. He pulls the curtains, and the only thing lighting up the sky is the streetlights and a weird orange glow from just outside the city.

Jonny’s stomach drops.

He opens a window, and the smell hits him--fire, and wood, _burning_.

Jonny barely registers the time it takes to get dressed and in his car, breaking a few laws as he speeds towards the state park. He can hear the fire trucks racing to the scene, but Jonny veers away from them, knowing that once the emergency services get to the park, there will be no getting in. He ditches his car on a barely used road, barely putting it in park before he starts to run towards the park.

The smoke is dangerous even a mile away, sprung up into the air by the wind, carrying with it the fire. As Jonny runs toward the fire, he passes animals running in the opposite direction, eyes wide in fear as they scatter, the new babes barely able to keep up with their parents.

It gets hot quickly, clinging to the air as Jonny chokes on the smoke, eyes watering. It’s impossible to smell anything above the smoke and the burning. “Patrick!” Jonny yells, but to no luck--the fire is loud as it burns, taking down trees in its wake.

Jonny legs and arms get burnt as he goes deeper into the park, closer and closer to the source of the fire. He stops every now and again to push a log out the way, clearing the path for the animals that are trapped and scared, baring his teeth to frighten them into going the right direction.

Minutes feel like hours as he make his way through the forest, his skin heavy with ash and feeling like fire, choking on the air, eyes watery and burning, but he can’t leave until he finds Patrick.

He makes his way to the den, but the sweaters he left out on the forest floor are on fire, and so is the old, dead tree above it. Jonny feels his heart sink.

He checks the creek, and there, trying desperately to go upriver is an old fox, gray around the muzzle, moving slowly. Jonny lifts the animal into his arms despite her protest, knowing that without his help that she’ll die. He continues up stream, hoping that her natural instinct is leading them away from the fire.

It is, and more importantly, her instincts lead them to Patrick. Patrick, standing in the middle of the creek, surrounded by older animals, too weak and slow to make it away quickly. They’re clustered around the spirit, frightened.

When Jonny is close enough his heart sinks even lower than before. Patrick’s face, his hands, his _legs_ are covered in burns, red and angry, but he has one of Jonny’s sweaters on despite the heat, at least covering his chest and waist. He’s sobbing, eyes wide and wet with tears, just as frightened as the animals.

Jonny wants to hold him, but he’s afraid to hurt Patrick anymore than he already is. “Come on,” says Jonny, as the fire roars behind them, making its way up the creek. “We have to go.”

 _Animals_ sobs Patrick, picking a hare out of the water that’s been struggling to stay afloat in the stream.

“They can come too, I promise,” says Jonny, holding the fox in one arm and grasping the antlers of a deer gently with the other. “We’ll go up the creek and to my car, and the animals can come with us, sweetheart. I promise.”

Patrick nods, face so angry and red from the burns, his hair singed from where his flower crown caught fire.

They make their way up the creek together, slowly, the animals following behind them, Patrick sobbing as he keeps looking back to look at his forest, red and burning to the ground.

 

 

 

 

\- - -

 

 

 

It feels like hours before they emerge from what’s left of the forest.

The trees are still engulfed in flames, and Patrick is beyond consoling. He clutches the hare in his arms, sobbing into its singed fur as Jonny gets him into the front seat of his car, the old buck and fox secured in the trunk of the SUV.

“Everything’s going to be alright,” says Jonny as he starts the car. Patrick just sobs louder, the angry red burns all over his body illuminated from the light of the flames. Patrick doesn’t seem to be in any actual, true pain. He’s fallen and slipped and broken bones right before Jonny’s eyes, only to get up and keep going like nothing, body healing instantly. It’s the pain of his forest burning, and the death of his beloved animals that’s causing Patrick so much pain; Patrick _is_ the forest, and his burns are a reflection of what’s been done.

“I’m sorry,” says Jonny. Patrick squeezes his eyes shut and ignores him.

Jonny drives north, up and away from the forest and city, out towards the open fields and large houses where Sharpy lives. Sharpy has a house on a couple of acres that back onto a wooded area. It’s not a large forest, but Jonny hopes it will make the animals and Patrick feel comfortable.

He feels guilty knocking on the Sharp’s door at two in the morning, but when Sharpy answers, and sees Patrick clutching the hare behind Jonny, he sighs and says, “Come on, I’ll get Abby.”

The animals follow Patrick into the house, the buck lying tiredly in the living room while the fox hides under the couch. Patrick eventually lets go of the hare, who slips away to hide under an armchair.

Patrick looks around the Sharp’s living with wide, curious eyes. His tears have finally stopped, but he crawls onto Jonny’s lap, hiding his face in Jonny’s neck when Sharpy emerges with Abby.

“Okay,” says Abby, as she looks at the buck on her living floor and the half-naked boy sitting on Jonny’s lap. She carefully steps around the buck to take a seat on the couch, a few inches from Jonny. She frowns at Patrick’s burnt legs, but doesn’t touch. “And who is this?”

“Say hello,” instructs Jonny, carefully jostling Patrick. Patrick turns his head and blinks at Abby, Abby’s eyes going wide in shock before her face settles, smiling.

“It’s nice to meet you, Patrick,” she says. “Can I touch your legs? I just want to look at your burns.”

Patrick must give her permission, because Abby carefully touches Patrick’s leg, examining his burns. “Oh?” she says, moving onto the next leg. “I always thought Jonny would make a good mate myself.”

“So,” says Sharpy, getting on his hands and knees to peer at the hare under his armchair. “This is why you’ve been going out to the park all the time now.”

Jonny shrugs, careful. “We’re mates.”

Sharpy nods. “And is he a werewolf like you?”

“No, he’s a forest spirit,” says Jonny, as Patrick gives Abby a tiny, hopeful smile before he slips away from them to crouch on his knees next to Sharpy. The hare hops happily into his arms. Patrick must say something to Sharpy, because Sharpy smiles and nods, reaching to pat the hare’s head gently.

“His forest caught on fire?” asks Abby, tentatively reaching out to stroke the hare’s back. Patrick frowns, tears collecting in his eyes again. He hands the hare over to Abby, who holds the animal awkwardly, before he reaches under the couch and pulls out the fox.

“The whole park is gone,” replies Jonny, opening his arms for Patrick, who crawls onto his lap, breathing hot and heavy into Jonny’s neck. _Burn_ he says unhappily, kissing the head of his fox. The fox buries further into Patrick’s arms.

Abby looks sad, stroking one of the hare’s long ears. “There’s nothing we can do about it right now,” she says, setting the hare on the ground. “Why don’t we get some sleep? Patrick’s had a long night.” She looks at the buck. “Does he need a blanket?”

“They’ll probably feel better outside,” says Jonny.

Patrick leads the animals outside, spending long moments cuddling with each one. Jonny can hear other animals in the little wooded area coming forward, attracted to Patrick’s presence. It’s not long before they appear, sniffing at him and the other animals. Patrick spends even longer petting the new squirrels and chipmunks, and even an owl before Jonny steps forward. The animals scatter back into the woods, causing Patrick to make upset noises, but it’s late, and Patrick needs to rest.

Abby sets them up in the spare room across the hall from Maddy. Jonny strips Patrick of the old sweater, and uses a wet washcloth to gently wipe over Patrick’s body to get rid of the dirt and ash from his skin, being careful of the burns even if they don’t hurt. He then strips of his own clothes, kicking them into the bathroom to try and block the smell. He uses the washcloth to wipe his own body until Patrick takes it from him, being just as gentle with Jonny as Jonny was with him.

 _Good mate_ he says, kissing Jonny’s jaw.

Jonny wraps him up nice and tight in his arms, getting them both settled in the small bed. He strokes Patrick’s curls for a long time, Patrick breathing wet and moist into his chest, smelling of burnt wood.

 

 

 

 

\- - -

 

 

 

When Jonny wakes, he's alone.

He dresses in the dirty clothes from the night before, brushing his teeth with a toothbrush Abby left out for him. He makes his way downstairs, finding Patrick in the living room with Maddy and Sadie. They have their teacups all set out on a little purple table, each with their own tiara, including Patrick, who’s wrapped up in a blanket and thankfully not indecently exposing himself. Patrick looks mildly alarmed by the fake tea, but he’s sitting patiently, nodding his head as the girls ramble on about their imaginary friends.

 _Good pups_ he says, when Jonny tilts the spirit’s head back to get a good look at him. Patrick’s eyes are a little red from where he’s been crying, his skin still raw from the burns, but he looks like he’s beginning to heal.

Abby is in the kitchen, watching the news off of her phone. “Patrick left some clothes out for you,” she says. “I tried to get Patrick into some of them, but he just wanted the blanket.”

Jonny will have to wrestle Patrick into the clothes sooner or later. For now, he helps himself to a cup of coffee. Abby eventually hands over her phone, where the news is reporting that half of Patrick State Park has been burnt to the ground, caused by a lightning strike to a tree. Patrick will be _devastated_.

Jonny waits until the tea party is over to take Patrick upstairs to put clothes on. Patrick is very unhappy about it, being a right brat as Jonny pulls a shirt over the spirit’s head, and forces him into a pair of Sharpy’s shorts.

“You can’t walk around naked in front of the girls,” says Jonny as he gets dressed. “It’s indecent.”

Patrick sticks out his tongue.

His attitude makes Jonny smile briefly. At least Patrick is in high enough spirits to be a brat, but Jonny still has to break the news about the forest. He sighs, cupping Patrick’s face, rubbing his thumbs gently across Patrick’s cheeks. “Half of the forest is gone, Patrick.”

Patrick’s face doesn’t crumble. His lower lip wobbles, and he sniffles, but he holds it together. _Forest burn before_ he says, eyes watering just a bit. He sniffles again, tilting his head in Jonny’s hands. _Animals dead_.

“I know,” says Jonny, kissing Patrick’s forehead.

 _Forest grow slow_ continues Patrick. _No home_.

“Your home is with me,” assures Jonny. “We’re mates, remember? I’ll take care of you.”

Patrick smiles, leaning forward to pecker Jonny with kisses along his jaw. _Good mate. Make good pups. Take care of family_.

“When the forest is healthy again, we’ll make some pups, okay?” says Jonny.

Patrick pouts, but he lets the pup thing go, instead leaving Jonny to go play with his new best friends, Maddy and Sadie. He’s in love with the two girls by the end of the day, telling Abby, and Sharpy when he returns from running errands, that they have good, strong pups. The girls are easily as smitten with their new playmate, especially when Patrick goes outside and brings back flowers for Jonny to make all three of them crowns with.

The three of them run around the Sharp’s backyard chasing each other and giggling, falling and tumbling over one another. It’s sickeningly adorable, which makes Jonny want to have children sooner than later, but he has to be responsible about it. They’ll need a better home than Jonny’s shitty apartment, somewhere close to the forest where Patrick can go back and forth between the confines of the house and the safety of his den easily. Patrick would have to change so many things about himself that make him _Patrick_ , too. He’d have to start wearing clothes and actually _speaking_ , and go to PTO meetings and hockey games. Living in a house and being forced to act _normal_ would be devastating for the spirit, but Jonny couldn’t have his children running around the forest all day when they could be in school getting an education.

Patrick isn’t very happy when Jonny decides that they should leave after dinner. He wants to stay and play with the girls for forever, but Jonny doesn’t want to overstay their welcome, and he needs to get Patrick back to his apartment, to try and get him adjusted to being confined in such a small space before Jonny has to go back to work. They stay long enough for Patrick to help put the girls to bed, stroking their hair softly and giving them kisses, pouting and sniffling when he says goodbye.

“We’ll see them again,” says Jonny, as Patrick sniffles in the car. “You can visit them whenever you like.”

_Now?_

Jonny ignores him.

For a forest spirit, Patrick is unreasonably calm about the elevator. He actually _likes_ it, pressing almost every button when Jonny’s not looking, causing them to go up and down for well over ten minutes before they finally get to the tenth floor.

Patrick seems to like Jonny’s tiny apartment too, immediately gravitating to the plants he has scattered around the space, touching their leaves and causing them to grow. _Home_ he says happily as he goes from the kitchen to the small living space to Jonny’s bedroom. The spirit is quick to strip off Sharpy’s clothes and crawl into one of Jonny’s old sweaters before he returns to the kitchen to talk to the plants there.

Patrick falls in love with Jonny’s bed, stripping out of the sweater and burrowing under the covers. He stays under them as Jonny calls out of work and tidies the apartment, only showing signs of life when Jonny crawls into bed. Patrick is quick to cuddle up to Jonny, covering him with kisses before he yawns, stuffing his nose into Jonny’s neck.

 _Love you_ says the spirit into Jonny’s neck. _Keep safe_.

“I love you too,” says Jonny, burying his fingers in Patrick’s soft curls.

 

 

 

 

\- - -

 

 

 

Patrick is fascinated by Jonny’s small apartment.

He walks around in nothing but one of Jonny’s old, worn hockey jerseys, pressing this button and that, opening drawers to look at forks and spoons until he moves onto the next thing that’s caught his attention. He always stops to say hello to this plant and that, kissing their leaves to make them grow.

Patrick begins to hoard things, taking spoons and clips and even pens back to Jonny’s bed, where he stuffs them under the covers along with sweaters and other clothes he’s gotten his hands on, making a den out of Jonny’s bed. The pens and spoons seem pointless to Jonny if Patrick’s just going to sleep his way through winter, but he lets Patrick have them, resigning himself to sleeping jammed up against the wall, hot and uncomfortable, with Patrick curled on top of him, surrounded by intimate objects and sweaters.

After three days, Jonny has to return to work. He’s missed too many days already, and with the forest destroyed, he has to work to afford a place to keep them until the forest is regrown.

Patrick is very much upset about this, going as far as to pout and sniffle, but Jonny turns on _Pocahontas_ off of Netflix, teaching the spirit how to use the remote to switch to different movies. Patrick is immediately enthralled, paying Jonny only enough mind to offer his cheek for a goodbye kiss.

Jonny spends most of his time at work worrying about Patrick. Sharpy is no help, spurring on worries that Patrick has accidentally set the apartment on fire, or _worse_ , wandered away from the safe confines of the apartment to be picked up by a stranger, or hit by a car.

Jonny worries are completely unfounded, because when he returns home, Patrick is where Jonny let him, safe on the couch with _Pokemon_ on the TV, surrounded by _mice_.

“What the fuck,” says Jonny.

Patrick turns to look at him, a mouse on his shoulder, nosing at his cheek, another cupped gently in his hands. _Friends_ he says, smiling, as a few mice in his lap squeak happily.

“Patrick they’re _mice_.”

Patrick frowns. _Friends_ he insists, giving the mouse in his hands a sweet kiss to the head. The mouse melts in Patrick’s hands, squeaking happily, looking like it just found the best cracker of its life. The other mice start to crawl their way up his sleeves, waiting patiently for their own kisses.

“We can’t have mice in the apartment, Patrick.”

There’s a box of crackers scattered across the coffee table, a sign that Patrick has probably been feeding the mice. Jonny doesn’t like rodents, but he can’t honestly say he’s surprised to find Patrick surrounded by the tiny things. He’s beloved by all animals, and probably got lonely waiting for Jonny to come home.

The mice scurry under Patrick’s jersey when Jonny steps forward to start cleaning the crackers. “If you feed them sweetheart, they won’t know how to find food for themselves.”

 _I feed_ says Patrick, matter-of-fact. He reaches under his jersey, pulling out a mouse, peppering it with soft kisses. Jonny can see the rest of the mice scurrying about under the jersey.

Eventually Patrick returns the mice to the vent in which they came from, giving each a gentle kiss before they scurry home to their nests. _Good friends_ he decides, nodding to himself.

Jonny just raises his eyebrows from where he’s chopping zucchini for dinner. He’s never seen Patrick eat anything but candy apples and protein bars he’s stolen out of his backpack, but Jonny chops extra.

Patrick is uninterested in the zucchini, instead taking great pleasure in opening the drawers and rearranging all of Jonny’s silverware. “It’s rude to mess with someone’s kitchen.”

 _My kitchen_ says Patrick.

Instead of eating the zucchini, Patrick takes it to the vent. It isn’t long before the mice appear, taking the zucchini slices from the spirit’s fingers gently.

“Patrick, baby,” sighs Jonny from the dinner table. “You can’t feed them. They won’t be able to survive on their own if they rely on you for food.”

 _Hungry_.

“I know, darling, but what’s going to happen when you’re home in the forest? Who will feed them then?” Patrick bats his pretty eyelashes at Jonny. “ _No_. I’m _not_ feeding them. Mice aren’t supposed to be in the apartment, Patrick.”

Patrick looks at the mice sadly, before he returns the cover to the vent, taking the zucchini and worming his way onto Jonny’s lap, making it difficult for Jonny to eat. _Friends_ he says, dejectedly.

It must be so lonely for Patrick in the apartment. He can’t do anything but play with silverware and watch _Pokemon_. He’s used to roaming for hours and miles on end, surrounded by his animals. Here, all he can do is make friends with mice and pace back and forth.

Jonny feels unreasonably guilty. It’s not his fault that the forest burnt, but he never _asked_ Patrick if he wanted to live in the apartment. Maybe Patrick would have felt better staying in the little wooded area behind the Sharp’s house, or even back in the charred remains of his home.

 _Good mate_ says Patrick, kissing just above Jonny’s right ear. _Love_.

 

 

 

\- - -

 

 

 

Jonny resigns himself to having mice in his apartment.

They’re Patrick’s little friends who keep him company during Jonny’s long work hours. Patrick is a little better about feeding them, or so he claims, but the mice are getting suspiciously fatter.

Patrick seems content to spend his days in the apartment, talking with his mice and the plants. He likes the TV, learning quickly how to leave Netflix and navigate cable. It comes as no surprise that he loves Animal Planet, but the nature specials make him sad. He cries the one time Yellowstone is shown burning during a documentary. Jonny spends a long time cuddling him to make everything better.

Patrick soon discovers hockey, dragging Jonny from the front door as soon as he gets home to show him the game. It’s an old game on the NHL network seeing as it’s the beginning of July, but Patrick is enthralled anyway, taking great joy in tugging at the old hockey jersey he’s wearing and pointing at the screen, explaining in his choppy words that he’s wearing a jersey like the players. It dawns on the spirit that there’s a _reason_ he’s wearing an old jersey, and pesters Jonny until Jonny fishes his old sticks out of his closet.

The spirit is kind enough not to ask why Jonny isn’t playing anymore. All he wants is for Jonny to bounce a ball back and forth with him in the small living room as he studies the screen, tongue sticking out the corner of his mouth, determined to hold the hockey stick properly.

When Jonny has to stop to make dinner, Patrick sits in front of the TV, watching the Blackhawks whoop Dallas’s ass, clutching the stick.

Patrick takes such a keen interest in the sport that Jonny pulls the spirit onto his laptop after hooking his laptop to the TV, playing old games off of YouTube on the big screen. He explains each position to the spirit, even though Patrick seems more keen on watching the puck than he is on really understanding the game, but a lack of knowledge doesn’t keep one from being a fan of hockey.

“I’ll take you to a game,” says Jonny, when they curl up in bed together, the hockey stick that Patrick’s decided is now his next to the bed. Patrick’s eyes get wide. He nods rapidly before kissing the corner of Jonny’s mouth, snuggling close.

They’ll need to go to a pre-season game, or one during opening week. Patrick will start to get sleepy soon, lured by the need to hibernate, and there’s no telling how he’ll react to being in such an crowded, zealous and cold arena.

It’ll be the first hockey game Jonny’s attended in years.

 

 

 

\- - -

 

 

 

Patrick settles into life at the apartment.

He’s not always one hundred percent happy all of the time. He _is_ a forest spirit after all, not made to be cooped up inside a tiny apartment. He bares his teeth and gets moody, getting upset that Jonny has to leave him every day. Sometimes the mice and Disney movies don’t calm him. He cries, the mice scattering to their hiding spots and the plants wilting. Jonny can’t miss any more work, so he’s forced to leave Patrick there, upset and crying and baring his teeth. Jonny always feels guilty leaving him, very aware that Patrick isn’t made for apartments, but when he gets home, Patrick is calmer, greeting Jonny with a kiss. It’s not easy on the spirit, Jonny knows. Patrick isn’t being a brat just to be a brat. His forest has burnt to the ground, most of his animals scattered about, and watching Pocahontas run around with a raccoon and hummingbird probably doesn’t help.

Jonny tries to ease Patrick’s woes with frequent trips to the nearby park. The first time they leave the apartment, Patrick is apprehensive, uncomfortable in Jonny’s clothes and not happy by all of the noise. He clings, looking around with wide, frightened, eyes, until he gets approached by his first dog. It takes them thirty minutes to get to the park, when it usually takes ten, only because every dog, stray cat, pigeon, rat, and squirrel in the city wants to say hello to Patrick. Patrick is happy to say hello back, even to the pigeons that Jonny doesn’t quite trust.

The park is very much the same as the walk there. They find a secluded spot, Patrick sits down, and then spends a lot of time chatting with the squirrels and chipmunks, interrupted a few times by a mouse or a rat. Jonny reclines on a nearby bench, going over his spreadsheets on his phone and keeping in touch with his family. He’ll have to break it to his family sooner than latter that he’s mated to a forest spirit, but he doubts his mother will be very disappointed. Patrick is a charmer, and Wolves take great pride in having relationships with spirits.

When Patrick has met all of the animals in the park, he returns to Jonny, smiling and happy. He sits on the bench next to him, content to watch people walk by and hold Jonny’s hand. _Good mate_ he says, which isn’t unusual. _Take care of Patrick_. Patrick furrows his brow, seemingly at a loss for words. _Love you_.

This is probably Patrick’s way of apologizing for being a brat. Jonny forgives him, because he’s incapable of being mad at Patrick. It will be his downfall. “I’m sorry I have to leave you during the day,” says Jonny.

 _Sorry I show teeth_ says Patrick.

Jonny kisses Patrick, nice and soft. “You’re a brat,” he says, fond.

 _Your brat_ says Patrick.

Patrick is a bit sweeter after that. He still doesn’t like to be left, but he seems to understand that Jonny doesn’t like to do it either, and that it’s a necessary evil. He tries very hard to keep the apartment clean, rearranging all of Jonny’s drawers in the process. He can’t cook, not that Jonny would trust him alone with the stove anyway, but he always greets Jonny at the door with a kiss like a good little housewife. Jonny wouldn’t want Patrick to be a stay-at-home anything unless he wanted to, but it’s nice to have someone to come home to.

The only downside to having Patrick around is that Jonny is now faced with Patrick’s nakedness 24/7. Before, Patrick being naked was something that didn’t effect Jonny in the sense that Patrick was a ethereal, untouchable creature. But now that he’s had the spirit, and they’re away from the forest, Patrick no longer seems ethereal. Of course his eyes are still a milky blue, his skin still a soft, pale white even as it slowly heals from the burns, but without his flower crown or his deer, Patrick looks like any other guy who likes to walk around the apartment naked.

He’s tempting, twisting and turning gracefully around the apartment as he chases a ball that’s standing in for a puck. He only wears clothes when he wants to, which leaves him bare and lovely for only Jonny’s eyes to see.

Jonny wants to kiss all over the spirit’s chest. Bite at his thighs and nipples. Lick his neck and nibble at his skin until Patrick comes all over himself, but Patrick’s understanding of sex is limited to a basic biological need--he doesn’t _understand_ sex outside of procreating, and despite the serious case of blue balls Jonny is now developing, there’s nothing he can do about it except for run up his water bill and become re-acquainted with his right hand. He won’t pressure Patrick into doing anything that Patrick doesn’t want or understand.

With that being said, it’s hard for Jonny to keep himself in check. Patrick is always there, beautiful and graceful and _naked_ , crowding into Jonny’s space for cuddles and kisses. Jonny can’t deny Patrick any sort of affection, but it’s hard to keep his hands from roaming when Patrick is so close, tempting Jonny with his kisses.

But Jonny remains a gentleman, keeping his hands above the waist.

Spring is only--well, it’s only eight months away. Which is an extremely long way away when Jonny really sits down and thinks about it, so he decides not to.

His body, however, betrays him.

Patrick sleeps up close to Jonny, pressed right against him, thigh pushed between Jonny’s as he tries to get as close as possible. Jonny is used to this. The moment he met Patrick, Jonny relinquished any and all personal space. It’s a fleeting concept now, only known to him in his dreams--dreams that go from the typical running through the woods and nightmares, to ravishing Patrick back in the safety of the forest, tasting and knotting the spirit until Jonny wakes on the verge of an actual orgasm, dick hard and leaking.

Patrick is awake, eyes a bit wide, but curious.

“Sorry,” says Jonny, shifting so he can excuse himself to the bathroom, but Patrick places a hand on his hip.

In the dim dawn light, Jonny can see a flush to Patrick’s cheeks. He’s as lovely as always, mouth soft, but Jonny can smell arousal on him, right under his own scent that’s seeped its way into Patrick’s skin. “Darling,” says Jonny, afraid that his own arousal has thrown Patrick's biological clock out of whack, but Patrick smiles, spreading his legs before his hand shifts, his long fingers wrapping around Jonny’s cock.

Jonny moans, hips bucking. “Sweetheart, you don’t have to-”

 _Want_ interrupts Patrick, bratty.

“It’s not spring.”

Patrick gives Jonny an unimpressed look. _**Want**_ he asserts, twisting his wrist brilliantly, causing Jonny’s orgasm to rush up on him. He moans, coming all over Patrick’s wrist without even forming a knot. It’s the best orgasm Jonny’s had in _weeks_.

Patrick looks even more unimpressed when Jonny’s mind settles. He’s looking at the come all over his hand, frowning. _Waste seed_.

“We’re not making pups,” says Jonny.

Patrick pouts.

Jonny hands him one of the many sweaters that’s been hoarded. Patrick wipes his hand, before he gives Jonny the sweetest doe eyes possible, the little manipulative shit.

Jonny crowds his way between Patrick’s thighs, sighing, before he kisses the corner of the spirit’s mouth. Patrick is hard between them, body flushed and red despite his pout and doe eyes. “I know you want them,” says Jonny, kissing the skin of Patrick’s throat to hear Patrick’s sweet, breathy moans. “Spring,” promises Jonny, looking up at Patrick through his eyelashes as he kisses his way to a nipple. “We’ll make pups in spring.”

 _Strong pups_ says Patrick, before he gasps, back arching as Jonny bites his nipple gently. Jonny uses his tongue to soothe before he moves to the next, watching Patrick’s face, careful to register every moan and gasp. He wants sex outside of mating season to be good for Patrick, something he enjoys and will want to do without Jonny’s own arousal tempting him.

Jonny can smell Patrick’s slick, heavy and wet between his thighs, and reaches for a condom left in the top drawer. Patrick immediately takes the wrapper from him, eying it with barely veiled suspicion.

“It will keep you from getting pregnant,” explains Jonny.

Patrick pouts, _again_.

“Just because you’re cute doesn't mean that you can get your way,” says Jonny, which has been a giant lie this entire time. Patrick _only_ gets his way because he’s cute.

Jonny wraps his hand around Patrick’s cock, forming a loose fist. Patrick moans, jerking his hips in Jonny’s grip. “I want this to feel good for you,” says Jonny, kissing the spirit, simple and sweet--they’ll have more time to practice kissing, later.

The last time they had sex, Jonny just pushed in without any prep. Patrick’s body had accommodated him, and he hadn’t seemed to be in pain, but Jonny wants to be more gentle this time.

He continues to move his hand in a light fist, just as he uses the other to trace a finger over Patrick’s hole, where he’s already wet. Patrick opens and closes his mouth confusedly, moaning sweetly when Jonny pushes his finger in.

Jonny watches Patrick’s face as he works his finger, pushing in and out. Patrick’s cheeks are red, eyes dilated, prompting Jonny to add another finger. Patrick cries out, wrapping his fingers around Jonny’s wrist where he’s still jerking Patrick off.

 _Want_ says Patrick. _Jonny, want_.

It’s the first time Patrick’s ever called him ‘Jonny’.

“I know, I know,” murmurs Jonny when he slowly pulls his fingers out. Patrick mewls, unhappy. He lets Jonny take the condom wrapper from him, pouting and pushing at Jonny impatiently as Jonny rolls the condom on.

Patrick makes to turn over, but Jonny shakes his head, moving backwards on his knees so Patrick can lie flat on his back. “Like this,” he says. “We can fuck like this.”

 _Fuck_ repeats Patrick, smirking.

Jonny shoves a pillow under the spirit’s hips. “There’s no living with you.”

Patrick doesn’t reply, just spreads his legs wider, the little harlot.

Jonny pushes Patrick’s legs up, not near his chest but high enough to make the angle good. He holds Patrick’s thigh in one hand as he pushes his cock in, groaning at how tight Patrick is even with the slick. Patrick continues to make the sweetest noises until Jonny’s pelvis is pressed flushed against his hips.

“This good?” he says, pulling out just enough to test the angle before he pushes back in. Patrick wraps an arm around Jonny’s neck and shoulders, dragging him down so their foreheads rest together.

Jonny starts slow, testing the waters, until Patrick starts to get impatient, making noises in the back of his throat. Jonny pulls away enough to sit up, keeping one hand on Patrick’s thigh as he snaps his hips, chasing his orgasm, Patrick mewling and crying out, pushing back against the Wolf, meeting him halfway.

Patrick’s mouth opens into a pretty ‘o’ as Jonny hits the right spot, moaning loudly, scratching down Jonny’s chest with blunt nails. The spirit pulls Jonny back down to bite at his chin, and then his neck, marking Jonny with his teeth and his nails, moaning and growling until his back arches, coming between them unexpectedly, whole body going tense.

Jonny fucks him through it, spurred on by Patrick’s choppy moans, knot hard and thick on his cock. He pulls back from Patrick, spreading him wider, holding the spirit’s thighs in both hands as he pushes the knot in, pushing and pushing until Patrick’s body gives in to him.

Patrick cries out, lurching up to bite meanly at Jonny’s jaw again, but it’s what Jonny needs. He comes, head thrown back, a white flash of _yes mine ours mine_ going through his head.

He collapses on top of Patrick. Patrick allows it, soothing Jonny’s jaw with gentle kisses, before he starts to complain, snapping his teeth. “I can’t _go_ anywhere,” says Jonny.

Patrick pouts meanly. _No this_ he says, fishing the condom wrapper out from under a sweater. _Don’t like_.

The condom does feel uncomfortable around the knot, but it’s the only thing that will keep Jonny from knocking Patrick up. “It’s either a condom, no sex, or I pull out.”

Patrick doesn’t look pleased by any of the options, but he lets Jonny kiss his cheek.

“I have to wear a condom until spring,” says Jonny. “And then none after that, I promise.”

Patrick crosses his arms against his chest as if to say _fine_.

 

 

 

 

\- - -

 

 

 

It doesn’t take long for all of Patrick’s energy to start disappearing.

One day he’s running around Jonny’s apartment, demanding that Jonny make love to him, and then the next, he’s lethargic, wanting to curl up in the mess he’s made of Jonny’s bed. Some days he sleeps for hours, and then there are other days when he barely sleeps, wide awake and playing with his mice until he finally does pass out, not waking up again until Jonny returns from work.

It’s too early in the season for Patrick to be _this_ tired in Jonny’s opinion, but he lets Patrick sleep, knowing fully well how grumpy and upset the spirit gets when his sleep is interrupted. He takes care of Patrick like he did the winter before, changing the spirit out of his old sweaters and socks and into new ones.

When Patrick is awake enough, Jonny gets him in the tub, scrubbing him clean even though the spirit doesn’t sweat. Patrick enjoys the tub, sitting in the water and relaxing for hours as Jonny cleans the apartment. His skin never wrinkles, and the water never cools. Sometimes the mice join him, sitting on the edge of the tub or joining him in the water, Patrick never letting them come close to drowning. Most of the time, Jonny has to coax him out of the water to keep the spirit from falling asleep in the tub.

In September, despite Patrick’s lethargy, Jonny keeps to his promise, taking Patrick to a pre-season hockey game. Patrick is nervous, clinging to Jonny as they go through the whole process of scanning their tickets and finding their seats, but once he realizes the purpose of being out of the apartment, his nervousness turns into excitement.

He sits on Jonny’s lap, despite the empty seats in their row, watching with wide eyes, shivering from time to time. He stays awake for most of the game, nodding off during the intermissions and startling awake when the goal horn sounds. He’s upset about being startled, but Jonny buys him a knit hat before the third intermission and a soft serve ice cream cone, which Patrick doesn’t deserve because he refused to eat his spinach at dinner and fed it to the mice instead.

By the end of the game, Patrick is grumpy, no longer interested in the losing rookie team, and more interested in sleeping. He snaps his teeth at Jonny a few times, causing the people in the row ahead of them to stare, but Patrick’s white skin and milky eyes probably lead them to believe that there is something _off_ about Patrick, and they avert their eyes. Jonny frowns at that, because Patrick is a beautiful, ethereal creature, although a bit stubborn and mean when he’s tried. People should stare at Patrick because he’s beautiful, not because they think there’s something wrong with him.

Patrick sleeps in Jonny’s old jersey and his new knit hat that night. He looks a bit brighter than usual when Jonny goes to lay down next to him, which is somewhat worrying. Patrick’s skin is normally a white color, like someone who doesn’t go out in the sun often, but tonight his skin is tan and glowing.

He checks Patrick’s forehead and doesn’t feel a fever, and listens to him breathe, but Patrick’s breaths are even and strong. Patrick doesn’t smell like any sort of sickness, either.

Patrick makes an upset noise in his sleep when Jonny sniffs at his neck, pulling at him until Jonny is rearranged how he wants. If Patrick is being an upset baby, then there can’t be anything wrong with him.

In the morning, Patrick’s skin is still tan and glowing. It’s a bit distressful, seeing as Patrick is normally pale, and there’s no reason for him to actually be _glowing_. Patrick smiles, stretching out before he cups Jonny’s face and gives him a kiss. He seems more playful today too, more awake than he’s been in days.

“You’re up to something,” says Jonny, suspicious.

Patrick snaps his teeth playfully.

He makes grabby hands for Jonny, demanding a kiss and a cuddle. Jonny gives into him of course, but he buries his nose in Patrick’s throat immediately. Patrick still doesn’t smell like any sickness, but he does smell like the Earth, like the forest he hasn’t stepped foot in for weeks now, and a smell Jonny can’t quite place, but knows that he’s smelt somewhere before.

“Are you sick?”

Patrick shakes his head, finally yawning, slipping back into the sleepy darling he’s been for the past few weeks.

Jonny is still suspicious.

He moves his hands down Patrick’s body, feeling for anything that doesn’t feel right, but Patrick is as lean and fit as he’s always been, tempting too. Jonny could make love to him, but he can smell the tiredness on Patrick’s skin, and see it in the dip of his bright, happy eyes. He has some sort of secret, though, Jonny can tell.

“I’ll find out eventually, you know,” says Jonny, kissing the corner of Patrick’s mouth. “You can’t keep secrets from me forever.”

Patrick smiles, taking Jonny’s hands and placing them on his belly. It’s flat, as it should be, but Patrick is still _smiling_. He frowns when Jonny doesn’t seem to get what he’s trying to say.

 _Pup_ he insists, very sternly.

“Yes, in the spring, like we _agreed_.”

Patrick bats his eyelashes, looking coy and going for innocent.

“ _Patrick_.”

“ _Have pup in spring_.

“There’s a baby in there, isn’t there?” says Jonny, splaying his fingers across Patrick’s belly, understanding where the familiar scent is from--Abby smelt the same way when she was pregnant with the girls.

For the first time ever, Patrick looks unsure of Jonny, almost afraid. Jonny’s having conflicted emotions about a _baby that wasn’t supposed to be made until spring_ , but the thought of Patrick being afraid makes Jonny sick to his stomach. “I’m not--I thought we were going to wait.”

The color has drained from Patrick’s face. He looks sad, eyes wide and miserable. _Our pup_ he says sadly. _Not want_?

A baby isn’t what Jonny wanted _now_ , but he can’t--he wouldn’t give up his baby with Patrick. “I want,” he says. “I _want_. I just wasn’t--” they were _careful_ , using protection, except for _one time_ when Jonny had gone out with Sharpy for a few drinks, and had come back a little tipsy, but Patrick had said, “--you told me you could only get pregnant _in_ spring.”

 _Usually_ says Patrick, coy.

Jonny sighs. It’s hard to wrap his mind around a _baby_ , but Patrick looks so lovely right now, glowing with a pup inside of his still, small stomach. He must still only be a few weeks along, but he looks so happy by it that Jonny can’t be mad. At least Patrick will spend the winter indoors, where he’ll be safe and warm.

 _Strong pup, good pup_ says Patrick, nodding to himself. _Like forest_.

“He can’t live in the forest, Patrick,” says Jonny, feeling his lips quirk into a smile as he looks down at his fingers over Patrick’s stomach. “Babies don’t live in the forest.”

 _Born in forest, live in forest_.

“That’s unsanitary,” argues Jonny, thinking about a newborn being born in the _forest_.

 _Strong pup_ argues Patrick. _Like father_.

“I was born in a hospital.”

 _Like me_ says Patrick, instead, with a slight roll of his eyes.

Jonny glares.

Patrick smiles, but he still looks apprehensive. Jonny sits up, cupping Patrick’s face. Their baby is _not_ living in the forest, but they’ll make it work. “We’re going to have a baby.”

Patrick giggles, glowing.

 

 

 

 

\- - -

 

 

 

Patrick continues to glow.

He looks like the spirit Jonny first met in the forest, happy and giggling, even wearing a flower crown Jonny made out of a bouquet he bought the spirit. Patrick’s still very tired, curling up in the bed or on the couch for long hours, but when he’s awake enough he peppers Jonny with kisses and has long, deep discussions with the mice. Jonny doesn’t know exactly what Patrick and the mice discuss, but he has an odd feeling that it’s about nesting and baby mice-rearing. The mice are nice enough when they’re not eating Jonny’s crackers, but he doesn’t quite trust their parenting advice.

Once Jonny fully wraps his head around the fact that they’re going to have a baby, he Skypes his parents. Maman isn’t very happy that he’s kept Patrick a secret, but she’s proud that he’s mated to a spirit, especially to one as beautiful and as distinguished as Patrick.

Patrick charms Maman and Dad and even David, smiling prettily over the videochat, wearing a brand new flower crown and one of Jonny’s looser, white shirts to hide his belly. He can’t actually talk to Jonny’s family, his telepathy not working across electronics like that, but Jonny conveys his thoughts for him, telling Maman and Dad and David that he’s a good mate, who takes care of Patrick and his forest.

Maman is completely charmed, insisting that they visit for Thanksgiving-- _real_ Thanksgiving, not the American one; they’ll spend American Thanksgiving with the Sharps--when Patrick starts getting pushy, insisting that Jonny tell Maman about their pup, but Jonny doesn’t. He’s not ashamed, but Patrick’s belly is still flat, and Jonny worries about a miscarriage. They’ll wait until Thanksgiving, when Jonny can tell the family in person and Patrick is a little further along.

Patrick is not happy when they end the call, giving Jonny these cautious, sad, frightened frowns, while he touches his belly.

“We’ll tell them in person,” reassures Jonny, knowing that Patrick is still scared that he doesn’t want the pup. He gives Patrick a kiss, soft and sweet and reassuring. “Maman will want to hug you and kiss you in person.”

Patrick stops frowning, but still looks sad. The sadness only leaves his face when Jonny kisses him again, touching his belly. “We’re going to have a strong, pup, yeah?”

Patrick nods fervently, looking very proud of himself.

 

 

 

 

\- - -

 

 

 

By the time Jonny’s packing two duffels into the back of the car for their trip to Winnipeg, Patrick’s belly has gone from relatively flat, to sporting a bump. It’s a small bump, still easily hidden under Jonny’s clothes, but it’s a bump. Jonny supposes Patrick is at least twelve weeks, maybe a little under or above, he isn’t sure. It’s not like Patrick can go to an actual doctor, and it would be shitty to let Abby know about the baby before Jonny’s own family-- Abby might not even be able to accurately gage Patrick’s pregnancy, seeing as babies aren’t her forte.

Patrick’s pregnancy isn’t even a normal one to begin with, so who knows if there’s even an accurate way to gauge how far long he is. Jonny wants him to eat at least three times a day, and eat healthy things, not crackers and cookies, but Patrick doesn’t even need to eat or drink in the first place. How he provides his own body and their growing pup with nutrition is a question Jonny doesn’t think he’ll ever know the answer to, but something he’ll worry about nonetheless.

It takes fourteen hours to get to Winnipeg. Patrick sleeps for most of it, only waking at the rest stops to stretch his legs and say hello to the nearby plants and animals. He collects wild flowers along the way, keeping them in his lap so they won’t die all the way to Jonny’s parents’ house.

Patrick looks at the stone-brick house with giant eyes, immediately clinging to Jonny’s sleeve.

“Oh, don’t be like that,” says Jonny, opening the trunk to grab their duffels. “You’ve never been shy before.”

Patrick makes a face, hugging the flowers closer to his chest. He follows behind Jonny shyly, complementing the dying bushes out front before they enter.

The house smells like _home_ , of Jonny’s family and holidays and Maman’s cooking. Jonny immediately feels safe, dropping the duffels near the front door, but Patrick is another story.

Jonny has never seen the spirit so nervous. The first time they met, Patrick crawled naked onto his lap and bestowed him with kisses, never once looking frightened or nervous. He was apprehensive to travel to the park and see a hockey game, and meeting Abby and Sharpy doesn’t count, seeing as he was terrified from the fire, but he’s never been like _this_ : shy, chewing at his lips, looking desperately like he wants to curl up in a ball and hide.

“Are you afraid to meet my parents?” asks Jonny, incredulous.

Patrick doesn’t answer, but he does crowd closer, clutching the wild flowers. Jonny shakes his head amusedly, cupping Patrick’s face and kissing him softly. “Maman and Dad love you.”

Patrick doesn’t look convinced.

Maman and Dad are eating dinner at the kitchen table, but Maman drops her fork when she sees them, immediately getting up from the table to wrap Jonny in a bone-crushing hug. She pats his cheeks and complains that he’s not eating enough, before she sets her eyes on Patrick.

“Hello Patrick,” says Maman, calm as over. “It’s nice to finally meet you.”

Whatever silly nervousness Patrick was feeling immediately disappears. He smiles, big and happy, handing Maman the flowers he collected just for her before he says _Maman_ and kisses her cheek. He moves onto Dad, hugging him tightly and calling him _Papa_.

Jonny’s parents were already in love, but it becomes tenfold as they finish dinner. Patrick is as lovely as ever, talking to Maman and Dad as best as he can, asking about the plants nearby and telling them about his forest, but he grows tired, and a bit grumpy, and just wants to be cuddled.

Patrick gives Maman and Dad a kiss goodnight, before he follows Jonny upstairs to his childhood bedroom. He immediately makes for Jonny’s small bed, shedding his clothes and making grumpy noises when Jonny disappears to brush his teeth. When Jonny returns, Patrick’s already crawled under the covers. He snaps his teeth at Jonny meanly, but snuggles under him.

“I’m going to tell Maman that you’re mean to me,” says Jonny, but Patrick ignores him. They both know that Maman will never believe Jonny--she already loves Patrick too much to believe that he’s anything but an angel.

Jonny stuffs his face into Patrick’s neck, inhaling the sweet scent of baby mixed with the smell of his childhood home. It’s a calming smell that makes Jonny grin into Patrick’s skin. “We’ll tell them in the morning, when David is here,” he says, kissing under Patrick’s jaw. Patrick is so sleepy, making little noises as he starts to drift. “He’s not as easy to charm as my parents.”

 _David love me_ says Patrick, so sure in himself.

David _does_ love Patrick, which is completely unreasonable.

“He’s lovely,” David says, winding together a flower crown as Patrick nods his agreement, looking smug.

Patrick spends the rest of the morning looking smug, snuggled up in sweaters and sweatpants and socks, and the brand new flower crown David made for him. He naps for the rest of the day, the cold in Winnipeg not helping with his approaching hibernation, before he wakes, determined to tell their secret.

 _I tell_ he insists, when Jonny’s collected their family in the living room.

“Go ahead, darling,” says Jonny, suddenly feeling nervous but thrilled to share the news.

Patrick takes a deep breath, before he takes Jonny’s hand and places it on his belly. _We have pup. Good pup_.

The shriek Maman lets out startles Patrick, but he recovers, letting Maman hug him tightly and then feel his belly as Jonny receives hugs from Dad and David.

“I knew it,” says Maman, because all mothers just seem to _know_. “When are you due, sweetheart?”

 _Spring_ answers Patrick, glowing with happiness. _In forest_.

Maman looks concerned.

“We’re not raising the baby in the forest, Maman.”

Patrick gives Jonny a look that says _we’ll see_.

 

 

 

 

\- - -

 

 

 

Patrick cries when they leave Winnipeg.

He doesn’t want to leave Jonny’s family. He loves them so much already; he wants to stay and cook with Maman and watch TV with Dad and learn hockey from David, but they have to go back to Chicago.

“They’ll come visit,” says Jonny, turning up the heat in the car even though it’s uncomfortable for him. Patrick’s decked out in socks and sweats and a jumper, with a throw blanket draped over his knees to keep him extra warm. He stole one of David’s Jets toque to wear. He pulls it down over his ears to pout and sniffle.

He eventually falls asleep, leaving Jonny to drive the thirteen hours back in relative silence. Patrick wakes at the rest stops, still sniffling unhappily, even when Jonny reminds him about his forest. He cheers up eventually, after Jonny gives in and buys him cookies from a vending machine.

Jonny expects for Patrick to fall straight into his hibernation as soon as they return to Chicago, but despite the oncoming winter, Patrick remains awake. He sleeps for long periods, but never truly goes down for his hibernation, not even five days before Halloween.

He digs greedily through the grocery bags full of candy when Jonny brings them home.

“The candy isn’t for you,” says Jonny.

 _Pup wants_.

“The baby is not going to _have_.”

Patrick deflates, just a little, frowning at Jonny, hands still in the grocery bags. _Pup needs_.

“The baby does not need candy,” says Jonny, stern, but he’s powerless against Patrick’s puppy dog eyes and pout. “ _Fine_ , just _one_.”

Patrick, of course, doesn’t eat just one. He eats _twelve_ mini Snickers, which will probably rot his teeth and make their baby sick. Patrick reaches for a thirteenth, but Jonny grabs the grocery bags. “There won’t be any candy for the kids if you eat it all.”

 _Pups?_ says Patrick, perking up as he follows Jonny into the kitchen. Jonny puts the candy in a cupboard above the fridge that Patrick will probably get into once he goes to work, but at least it’s out of his reach for now.

“For when they trick or treat.”

Patrick blinks at Jonny confusedly.

“They come to the door dressed up, say ‘trick or treat', and then you give them candy and no, you are _not_ going trick or treating, you are an _adult_.”

Patrick glares, resentful, but he still doesn’t seem to grasp the concept of Halloween. Jonny pulls out his laptop, googling pictures of kids dressed up for the holiday. He even pulls up _Hocus Pocus_ on Netflix, only because it’s his favorite Halloween movie. Patrick isn’t very happy that he won’t be getting any candy, but he _is_ very excited at the thought of real life children coming to their door, in _costumes_.

 _Want_ says Patrick, taking the laptop from Jonny.

Jonny’s mildly concerned by Patrick’s proficiency at working the MacBook. “We’re already having a baby.”

Patrick makes a face. _Costume_.

And that’s how they end up in the closest Halloween store to the apartment, Patrick amazed by the numerous choices and all also very not happy about all the scary stuff. “Halloween is supposed to be scary,” explains Jonny, soothing the spirit after an ugly witch decoration screams at him. He steers Patrick away from the more horrific things, and towards the happier, Disney themed costumes and decorations.

Patrick doesn’t like any of the Disney costumes, mostly because they’re princess themed. He does love the princesses, and if he wanted to put on a pretty princess dress, Jonny wouldn’t have any objections. Patrick is an ethereal mythological creature; gender roles be damned, but this year Patrick doesn’t want to be a princess. Maybe next year, he tells Jonny, before his eyes fall on a short toga costume. It’s basically just a white sheet with some gold ‘Greek’ designs on the helm and around the collar, with a gold sash around the waist and a blue cape on the shoulders, but he’s happy when he tries it on, tying the sash nice and tight under his belly to show off his baby bump.

Jonny cuts off the cape because Patrick doesn’t much like it, and uses the golden laurel that came with the costume to make a crown adorned with red flowers. Patrick looks like a happy little god when he puts the final costume on. “Demeter would be jealous,” says Jonny.

Patrick blushes, nodding. _Pups?_

“They have to knock on the door first.”

Jonny hangs the door sign that the building management sent out announcing that he’s participating in the floor-to-floor trick or treating. He pours the candy into a bowl, while Patrick sits in the living room anxiously, surrounded by his mice.

When the first kid knocks on the door, Jonny goes to answer, but Patrick elbows him out the way. He answers, bright and happy, his happiness increasing as he sees a mini Elsa and her ninja sister.

 _Pups_ , he says to Jonny happily, as he puts a handful of candy in each of their bags. The children stare up at Patrick with awe, eyes going wide as he leans down to talk to them. He doesn’t physically say anything to them, but Jonny can see the moment that his voice enters their heads. Their mother has to drag them away to the next door.

 _Pretty pups_ , decides Patrick, watching them leave sadly.

This happens again and again throughout the night, Patrick forcing himself to stay awake so he can greet every child that comes to the door. He’s in love with each and every one of them, having a sweet conversation with them before they’re dragged away by their parents.

By the time the children start to dwindle, Patrick is tired, clutching to the bowl of candy while he waits patiently for more children to come. Eventually Jonny has to pry the bowl away from the spirit, kissing him softly as Patrick curls up on the couch with his mice. Jonny takes the sign off the front door, before he returns to Patrick, taking the spirit by hand and leading him back to the bedroom.

Patrick lets Jonny undress him, yawning and blinking at him through heavy eyes. _Sleep_ he yawns, whining, pushing at Jonny until Jonny climbs into bed with him. Jonny slots up behind Patrick, hands on his belly, feeling where their baby is growing nice and strong--according to Patrick. Jonny’s worried; Patrick can’t go to a doctor, and he refuses to take the prenatal vitamins Jonny brought back from the grocery store, but he reassures Jonny that their baby is strong and healthy. How Patrick knows this is a mystery to Jonny, but Jonny trusts in him.

Patrick sleeps well into the next morning. He’s like a piece of lead when Jonny crawls out of bed, refusing to even open his eyes. It’s not unusual for Patrick to sleep into the afternoon, so Jonny leaves him in bed, forcing Patrick’s into a sweater and a clean pair of socks, making sure that Patrick has enough blankets before he leaves for work.

When Jonny comes home, Patrick is exactly where he left him.

He takes in the soft look on Patrick’s face, and knows that the spirit won’t wake for the rest of winter.

 

 

 

 

\- - -

 

 

 

Patrick sleeps like the dead.

It’s warmer in Jonny’s apartment than it was out in the forest, so he sleeps naked, curled up under the covers with his hoard of pens and spoons and jerseys. Sometimes he stretches and twists about to get more comfortable, but for the most part he just lies there, sleeping, smelling content and like the forest, belly growing plump as the weeks go by.

Jonny shifts into his wolf every night when he gets home from work, climbing under the sheets to lick over Patrick’s face and down his chest, cleaning and scenting the spirit all in one go. Patrick always huffs, turning his head annoyingly in his sleep, but Jonny keeps him still. Patrick doesn’t sweat, but Jonny feels an impulse to keep him clean.

He feels the impulse, as well, to check on Patrick as much as he can. It’s not like Patrick is any sort of danger. He’s safe, tucked away in Jonny’s bed, but as his belly grows bigger, Jonny becomes more concerned. He just wants to make sure that Patrick hasn’t suffocated himself under the sheets, and that their baby is still growing. Everything is always okay--Patrick is always breathing, and his belly seems to grow bigger each day--but that doesn’t stop Jonny from peeking under the covers at least twenty times a day. He knows he’s being paranoid, but with a mate and a baby to care for, he has to be super vigilant.

With Patrick out for the count, Jonny starts to do some hoarding of his own.

Maman comes to visit right before Christmas. She’s a little taken aback by the mice, but she helps Jonny rearrange the furniture in the living room to make room for a storage unit to put away baby clothes and supplies. Maman takes a peek at Patrick sleeping, just to make sure that he’s okay with her own eyes, and to squeal about the growing baby, before they rearrange the bedroom to make room for a bassinet and changing table.

Maman goes a bit crazy with the baby clothes and the toys. There’s barely any room left in the bedroom after she’s done, but Jonny is grateful for her help, the supplies, and her willingness to accept Patrick and their child without a second thought. He doesn’t know what he would have done if his family had rejected Patrick.

Since Jonny won’t leave Patrick, not even for a day or two, Dad and David come down a few days later. It’s too cramped in the apartment, but they make do, with his parents sleeping on the pull out couch and David on an air mattress on the floor of Jonny’s room. There’s no room for a Christmas tree, so they stack presents on the kitchen table and hope for the best.

To Jonny’s utter surprise, Patrick wakes for Christmas. He’s blurry eyed, looking around the bedroom in confusion when Jonny finds him, covers pulled around his waist. Jonny’s sweats barely manage to work as maternity pants, but Patrick insists on being out in the living room with the family. He falls asleep again almost immediately once he reaches the couch, but he wakes from time to time to talk with Maman and insist that David touch his belly to feel the baby move.

He barely makes it through present opening. Jonny’s parents and David bought Patrick a Jets themed array of winter clothing to keep him warm. He puts on each time, before he promptly falls asleep, curled in Jonny’s lap, only waking up to steal some of Jonny’s ham when it’s time to have their Christmas dinner. Patrick eats his weight in ham, before he gives everyone a kiss goodnight and returns to his makeshift den.

Patrick doesn’t wake again until Spring.

 

 

 

 

\- - -

 

 

 

When Patrick wakes up--fully wakes up--he’s so fat with baby that he waddles. He’s also irritated and grumpy, snapping his teeth and crying at the drop of a hat. He’s back to being miserable in their tiny, cramped apartment. The bassinet and changing table seem to upset him too, because he wants their baby in the forest. Jonny hates his mate being miserable, so he gives in.

The forest is surprisingly full of life.

Of course the trees haven’t all grown back, but the grass is growing, and there animals have returned to the cluster of strong, resilient trees that managed to survive the fire.

Patrick cries happy tears as soon as they’re back in the forest. The animals come to him when they’re in the safety of the cluster, all crowding close to touch or lick him. Patrick takes long moments to kiss and speak to each one, crying and crying in happiness. Jonny feels a pang of guilt for keeping Patrick away for so long, but Patrick soothes him by reminding him that he’s a good mate who always takes care of him.

Jonny doesn’t want to leave Patrick in the forest--the bigger he grows, the more protective and in love Jonny becomes--but he knows Patrick will be safe in the forest, his true home.

Jonny is still apprehensive about the baby being raised in the forest--there are _diseases_ \--but Abby, when she brings the girls to visit and see Patrick for the first time in months, assures Jonny that between a thousand year old spirit, and a healthy werewolf, there are no diseases that the baby could catch; they’ll be immune. Patrick bares his teeth at that, because he was right all along. Jonny makes it up to him by rubbing his feet.

Jonny still can’t help but be worried about his child’s safety, so they strike up a loose compromise. Patrick allows Jonny to take some branches from his trees, and together, using Patrick’s powers, they make a large shelter. Jonny wants to bring down the bassinet and the changing table, but Patrick glares him into submission, instead using grass to make a soft place for the baby to sleep. Abby brings them cloth diapers as a gift, which makes Patrick happy, because he cried when he saw the disposable ones.

Patrick agrees that he and the baby will sleep in the shelter for the spring and summer, and return to the apartment for the winter. Jonny agrees that he’ll never not listen to Patrick ever again.

Patrick manages to get even bigger in the following weeks. When Jonny asks about his due date, Patrick only says a vague soon, which fills Jonny with fear, because he honestly doesn’t even know how Patrick will give birth. He imagines how it will go, which makes him a bit queasy, but Patrick seems unfazed.

 _Not first pup_ , he says, rubbing his belly as he relaxes in the stream. He looks up at the trees surrounding them, face going sad.

Jonny wasn’t under the impression that their baby was Patrick’s first. Patrick is as old as the earth itself; there’s no way that he hasn’t had mates, or children, before Jonny, but it still stings, just a little.

 _Always Mate_ says Patrick, reaching for Jonny, confusing him. He manages to sit up enough to kiss the corner of Jonny’s mouth. _Always my Mate. Always come back to me_.

Jonny doesn’t understand anything Patrick is saying, but he helps the spirit out of the water. Patrick is lovely, plump and fat with baby, flower crown balanced perfectly in his curls. _Make many pups together_ , the spirit continues, holding Jonny’s hand and starting off towards the center of the cluster. _All here_.

Patrick stops to kiss a tree. Jonny hears them start to sing.

“The trees are your children?”

Patrick nods solemnly. _They go to sleep. Mama always take care_.

“Oh,” says Jonny, looking around at the trees that rustle with no wind. Jonny touches one gently, just to show his respect.

 _Our children_ says Patrick, giving Jonny a kiss.

 

 

 

 

\- - -

 

 

 

Patrick manages to grow even bigger. It’s mid-May, and Jonny is constantly trying to do the math to figure out when their baby will finally make their appearance in the world. Patrick keeps saying _soon_ , which isn’t much help.

Jonny doesn’t like to leave Patrick, but he has to. Someone has to pay rent on their apartment.

“Don’t have the baby without me,” he instructs, every time he has to return to the real world.

 _Won’t_ , Patrick promises.

Patrick has the baby without him.

That morning, when Jonny comes to visit him before work, like he always does, Patrick is heavy and fat with baby. When Jonny returns that night, Patrick is no longer fat with baby, but _holding their baby_.

 _She came quick_ , is all Patrick says, looking exhausted but the happiest Jonny has ever seen him, cradling their infant in his arms. She has a sweep of blonde hair, and rosy red cheeks. She smells like the forest.

Patrick has swaddled her in a blanket that Maman sent. He hands the baby over, kissing the corner of Jonny’s mouth when Jonny takes her. Their baby is tiny, but the newborn tiny. She feels like a good weight, when she blinks her milky blue eyes open to look at him. She makes the tiniest of noises, and Jonny falls completely in love.

 _Fleur_ , nods Patrick, deciding on her name without Jonny’s consent, but _flower_ suits her.

“Fleur,” Jonny repeats, and feels his heart burst.

 

 


End file.
